Now, the time has come …we all should give it a thought and seriously work on it. The problem is growing and growing.

I am talking about the traffic management and parking problem of our very own Port Blair city. I am an islander and am happy for the positive tourism change in our native place. But at the same time, quite worried about its declining beauty. We have no one to blame as it is we who are together responsible for the declining charm of our islands’ especially Port Blair city.

The problem starts with traffic, which is incredibly increasing day by day. The never ending increase in the number of vehicles in our islands has given birth to other major problems related to pollution and most important of all, the burning issue of ‘parking vehicles’. Our city is overloaded with vehicles and the burden is never ending.

A good example in this regard is the main Aberdeen bazaar during peak hours. Everyone is in a hurry to reach their destination, which unlike any metro would hardly take a maximum of 5-10 minutes drive, be it any corner of the city.

But all it takes to create a commotion is one vehicle which is wrongly parked. One can notice people yelling, talking filthy and blowing horns to the best of their capacity to clear the congestion. And the result is pollution in all its forms. May Lord have mercy on the pedestrians who are caught in between this commotion?

Can’t we do some thing to solve the problem which we ourselves have created? Yes, we can if at all we as islanders try to change our attitude. First of all we should try to avoid using vehicles for smaller distance. Secondly we should learn to share one vehicle with others traveling in the same route. Also the most important of all is to improve our parking habits.

We have only two parking spaces for the vehicles visiting Aberdeen Bazaar; one near CCS and other at the medical cross road. But the two can hardly accommodate half the number of vehicles visiting plying in the area. In such a situation, there is a need to create more parking spaces, which with easy access to the market.

One such place which remains underutilized throughout the year except during the Durga Puja is the Netaji Club ground. Why can’t we make use of it for parking during the remaining time of the year? This will not only ease the parking problem to some extent but will be financially profitable to the club authorities and generate employment too, if a ticket system is introduced. Moreover, the residents of the adjacent area can also make use of the space by paying a minimum amount, instead of encroaching the main roads for parking their vehicles. It would also give a facelift to the area which remains in a dilapidated condition.

Now it’s up to us and the concerned authorities of the club to decide on it. Either let the ground get ruined like the way it is or generate some income out of it thereby giving a facelift to the area. Beauty of our island is in our hands. Let’s try and keep our islands beautiful!